2020 U.S. Census system grapping with security risks: The United States conducts its Census once per decade, and the deadline for the 2020 edition is approaching quickly. As part of a modernization effort, officials have been introducing technical innovations in the Census's supporting systems, including the deployment of tablet devices with census-takers out in the field.
However, a series of troubling security issues must be addressed before the 2020 Census gets underway, lest they lead to disruptions by hackers and ultimately, compromised data that could have a significant impact on the nation, the Government Accountability Office told lawmakers this week.
Meanwhile, the cost of the Census has grown steadily, estimated at $15.6 billion for 2020, up from $12.3 billion in the 2010 rendition. Some 43 systems in total will be used for the Census, but as of now the required integration and development work have been completed on only four of them, the GAO said.
Moreover, there are supposed to be strict controls in place on the Census's protection of PII (personally identifiable information), yet none of the 43 systems have satisfied the necessary security certifications required for use in an end-to-end testing program set for completion next year:
The amount of work remaining is concerning because the test has already begun and the delays experienced in system development and testing mentioned earlier reduce the time available for performing the security assessments needed to fully authorize these systems[.]
POV: There is much more fodder for thought—and concern—in the GAO's full report, which was first flagged by the Register. The U.S. government has a mediocre track record when it comes to IT projects and it appears the 2020 Census, as ambitious and laudable as its goals are, may suffer a similar fate. The stakes for citizen privacy are high indeed, as are the implications for U.S. democracy.
More than just a tool for analyzing economic data, the Census is used for all manner of government planning and funding, such as for infrastructure development, healthcare and education. It also helps determine how legislative districts are drawn up. This is a particularly sensitive topic, given the history of gerrymandering in U.S. politics.
The U.S. is already roiling over the potential influence of foreign governments on the last presidential election; if hackers with bad intentions manage to compromise the 2020 Census, the ripple effects could be severe and lasting.
VMWare buying VeloCloud SDN startup: Boosting its play in software-defined networking, VMWare has inked a deal to buy SDN startup VeloCloud for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition, which is expected to close in VMWare's Q4 fiscal 2018, builds on its previous purchase of Nicira in 2012. Nicira's technology became what is now VMWare NSX, and the addition of VeloCloud puts VMWare in even closer competition with Cisco on the networking front.
VeloCloud also gives VMWare's SDN business a significant boost in footprint. Its SD-WAN technology is in use at more than 1,000 service providers and customers, including AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, Sprint, Telstra, Brooks Brothers, Saber Healthcare and NCR. Here's how VMWare describes VeloCloud's value:
VeloCloud's cloud-delivered SD-WAN combines the economics and flexibility of the hybrid wide-area network (WAN) with the deployment speed and low maintenance of cloud-based services. It dramatically simplifies the WAN by delivering virtualized services from the cloud to branch offices and mobile users everywhere. VeloCloud leverages intelligent x86 edge appliances to aggregate multiple broadband links at the branch office, and using cloud-based orchestration, connects the branch office to any of type of data center: enterprise, cloud, or software-as-a-service.
Customers choose VMware NSX because it delivers network and security services closest to the application. With VeloCloud, VMware will bring the same properties to the WAN, resulting in visibility, security, automation with performance and availability for enterprise and cloud applications.
POV: Nicira was a signature acquisition for VMware—and one it reportedly beat out none other than Cisco for—but adding VeloCloud to the mix is a good move. Nicira's technology has been aging and lacking in investment; VeloCloud represents new blood, says Constellation VP and principal analyst Holger Mueller.
Overall, the deal is another key move on the next-generation networking chessboard—a playing field both rival vendors and enterprises contemplating major new investments in network architecture must watch closely.
Salesforce's new Success Cloud: Dreamforce 2017 is just a few days away, and while Salesforce has plenty of news it's keeping close to the vest until event time, one important announcement has already surfaced. It's Success Cloud, the latest pillar in its family of cloud service offerings. Success Cloud is not really about new technologies, however. Rather, it is geared toward helping Salesforce customers get the most out of their investments in the company's other clouds, as the keynote description explains:
In this keynote, you will leave with an understanding of how Salesforce has always-on, adoption, and advisory services to help businesses of every size achieve sustainable success. You will hear directly from trailblazing executives at Toyota Financial Services, LVMH, and more as they demonstrate how they reinvented their business with Salesforce Success Cloud.
POV: Salesforce pledges that it will reveal, for the first time, its "secret sauce" for driving customer success. Perhaps a more accurate way to put it is that with Success Cloud, Salesforce is introducing a formal framework around customer adoption, and at least in part is looking to monetize it in a more structured way.
There are already a number of Salesforce partners, such as Shellblack and Hyphen8, focused on end-user adoption services and training for the company's platform. Success Cloud would appear to compete with these third-party options. It also builds upon the success of Trailhead, Salesforce's online skills training program, which is aimed at fostering citizen developers and power users in the interest of driving long-term loyalty and stickiness for its products.
While much of Dreamforce's attention will be paid to flashier topics such as AI, the Success Cloud may end up being the conference's sleeper hit among attendees, and a possible cause for concern among some partners.
